Strawberries and Lilies
by Star of Heaven
Summary: At the Strawberry Dorms, the lilies are in full bloom, and girls will fall in love. [Various pairings]
1. Last Love Letter: Shizuma x Kaori

_Strawberries and Lilies_

Disclaimer: I don't own Strawberry Panic. This series of stories was written for the 10Lilies community on LiveJournal. Thus, each chapter deals with a different theme and a different pairing. This chapter's pairing is Shizuma x Kaori and the theme is #9 - secrets. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Last Love Letter  
Sakuragi Kaori would not die with any regrets. She had loved, and she had been loved. 

So had Shizuma, and she was going to live on long after Kaori. Kaori's death was going to pain Shizuma greatly, and it could cause the older girl to close off her heart to any new love.

Kaori was not going to let that happen. Otherwise, she would not be able to rest in peace.

She laid her hand on the window of her dorm room. She was several stories up, and thus could easily see many other happy students under the bright blue sky. The girls of the Strawberry Dorms could love so much, and that helped settle Kaori's heart.

Three beautiful schools with many, many beautiful students. Kaori was so thankful that she had the chance to attend Miator and become close to Miyuki and Shizuma. She truly loved them both, each in a different way.

Kaori went over to her desk and sat down. From the top drawer she pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. No letter would be able to truly convey her feelings, but this would help Shizuma overcome her grief.

Slowly, Kaori placed the pen over the paper and began writing. At first she had been worried that she wouldn't know what to write, but once she actually started, every word came naturally. That was good, she thought; this letter had to be honest as possible.

The door opened, and Shizuma stepped in. Kaori hastily turned over the piece of paper as Shizuma came up behind her. "Oh, what are you working on?" the older girl asked as she wrapped her arms around the younger girl's small shoulders. Shizuma smelt kind of like strawberries, Kaori noticed.

"Something important," Kaori answered with a smile. "It's a secret for now."

Shizuma chuckled. "I'll get you to confess soon, but not now. We need to head to dance practice."

"I'll be down in a few minutes. I need to finish this first."

Shizuma kissed Kaori's cheek. "Okay, but don't be late." She released Kaori's shoulders and started heading for the door. "See you later," she said before exiting the room.

"I won't be long!" Kaori yelled, uncertain if Shizuma would hear her. Her smile widened and she turned her letter face-up.

This letter wouldn't remain a secret for long, Kaori believed as she continued writing. Her feelings were already in the open, so its contents could hardly be considered "secret." Shizuma would find the letter and then be able to move on. Once she did, Kaori would be able to rest in peace.

Kaori's pen had reached the end. The lilies would be in full bloom soon.


	2. A Small Gift: Nagisa x Kagome

_Strawberries and Lilies_

A/N: Today's pairing is Nagisa x Kagome and the theme is #4 - a keepsake. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: A Small Gift  
"Hey Kagome-chan, what do you want to do now?" Kizuna asked, sliding closer to Kagome. 

Kagome clutched her teddy bear tighter. She was fine with sitting on the grass underneath some trees not far from the Strawberry Dorms, but now that she thought about it, there was somebody she had been wanting to see for a while, and since it didn't seem like it was going to rain again anytime soon… "Boshibaru wants to go see the greenhouse," she finally answered.

"The greenhouse?" Lemon repeated. "You mean Etoile-sama's? Would we even be allowed in there?"

"Aw, c'mon!" Kizuna said, quickly standing up. "It's totally okay. We'll just be taking a peak!"

"Okay, but if we're caught, you're taking the blame," Lemon replied with a smile. She also stood up and Kagome followed suit.

Much to the surprise of Kizuna and Lemon, Kagome took the lead. "Boshibaru knows where the greenhouse is," was all she said to the two older girls.

So, Lemon and Kizuna followed Kagome as she pursued the path that went around the outside of the dorms and then pointed to the greenhouse some distance away. It wasn't a long walk, and along the path were some beautiful trees and flowers. When the three girls reached the greenhouse, Lemon and Kizuna were surprised (and a bit intimidated) by its size while Kagome seemed unfazed.

"Boshibaru says she's in here," Kagome said, turning to face Kizuna and Lemon. "He wants you two to wait out here."

The two older girls nodded, most likely in relief. "Sure, that's okay," Kizuna replied.

Kagome turned back around and walked up the front stairs of the greenhouse. She then lightly gripped the doorknob and opened the door to get inside.

Boshibaru had been right; Nagisa was here. She was near the center, tending to some tiny flowers. The late afternoon sun shone through the ceiling and upon her. She looked as if she was waiting for someone.

Belatedly, Nagisa noticed Kagome. "Oh, Kagome-chan!" she greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Boshibaru said you were here," Kagome answered, walking up to Nagisa. "He wanted to come. Is he allowed to?"

Nagisa giggled. "Shizuma-sama would be okay with that. She lets me come in all the time, after all."

A small smile appeared on Kagome's lips. She then turned her eyes to the flowers Nagisa was watering. They were beautiful white lilies, although they were smaller than Kagome expected.

Nagisa noticed what Kagome was staring at. "They're pretty, aren't they?" the red-haired girl said. "They'll be even more beautiful once they bloom. Lilies symbolize purity, so I think they would suit you perfectly."

"May I have one?"

Kagome's sudden request was surprising, even to herself. How bold of her to even say such a thing! She had even spoken for herself and not through Boshibaru! Was Nagisa really that special to her?

Nagisa, on the other hand, didn't seem as surprised by Kagome's request. "Sure," she answered. "I don't think Shizuma-sama would mind." She picked up a small clay pot and then, gently with her bare hands, dug out a lily and placed it into the pot. She added a little more dirt to make sure that the roots were secure before handing the pot to Kagome.

"Thank you," Kagome whispered, clutching her teddy bear with her left arm and the clay pot with her right hand. She looked up at Nagisa and then stood on her tiptoes so that she could lightly kiss the older girl's cheek.

Surprise appeared briefly on Nagisa's face, but it was quickly replaced by delight. Without another word but with a sincere smile, Kagome turned to leave the greenhouse. As she was going out the door, she passed Shizuma, who was entering. Shizuma took a look at the lily in Kagome's hand, smiled, and then was on her way. Kagome heard Nagisa greet Shizuma enthusiastically, but she did not look back.

Once she was outside and down the front steps, Kagome was greeted by Lemon and Kizuna. "Oh, what a cute flower!" the two older girls exclaimed at the same time.

"She gave it to me," Kagome said, her voice soft. "Boshibaru wants to help make a cake for her in return."

"What flavor?" Lemon asked.

"Strawberry," Kagome decided, thinking of Nagisa's bright red hair.

"Sounds good," Kizuna said. "Let's get Chikaru-sama to help us, too."

Lemon and Kagome nodded in agreement, and together the three of them headed to the Lulim school building. As they were walking, Kagome held the potted lily close to her heart.


	3. Yet to Come: Amane x Hikari

_Strawberries and Lilies_

A/N: I probably should've said this in the first chapter, so I'll say it now: I'm not taking requests for pairings. All the pairings have already been planned. Anyway, this chapter's pairing is Amane x Hikari and the theme is #8 - a long road. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Yet to Come  
Thump, thump, thump. Starbright's hooves made a loud noise every time they hit the worn ground of the racetrack. As it was early morning, the cicadas had quieted but the birds had not begun singing. The horse's steps were the only sound. 

Well actually, Hikari thought, there was also Amane's heartbeat. With her head on the older girl's shoulder, her ear was close enough to Amane's chest to hear that heartbeat. It was more soothing to listen to than Starbright's thumps.

Even after winning the Etoile election, Amane still got up every morning to ride Starbright, and Hikari always joined her. Sometimes, like today, Hikari rode with Amane, and other times, the blonde girl was content just to watch.

Round and round they went. Only here they could do that. Everywhere else there was a long road ahead of them. They would keep on moving forward. Their lives would progress and not remain trapped in an endless cycle. Making love had only been the first step, and becoming the new Etoile pair had only been the second. If they wanted to continue to progress, more steps were needed. The best was surely yet to come, and it would come with each step they made as a pair.

Amane halted Starbright once they had returned to the beginning of the racetrack. Amane then got off the horse and as she was helping Hikari down, Shion, the Spica student council president, stepped onto the track. "I thought I'd find you two here," the older blonde greeted. On her lips was a slight smile, but her eyes clearly said that she was rather annoyed.

"What do you need?" Amane asked as she led Starbright back toward the stables. Hikari and Shion followed.

"You two haven't done anything since the election," Shion began once they were inside the stables. Amane was placing the horse back into its particular stable. "Etoile isn't just some figurehead position. You actually have to do things," the student council president continued, her hands on her hips.

"You wanted me to be Etoile because I was popular among the students," Amane said, removing Starbright's equipment and putting it away. "You should be happy with what you got."

Hikari giggled at that statement, but otherwise made no response.

Shion heard that giggle. "And what do you think of Amane's unmotivated attitude?" she asked Hikari, turning to face the younger blonde.

Hikari's face became red as a strawberry. She hated confrontations, but she had to stand up for her woman. "Well, um, since the election was only two weeks ago, we shouldn't be forced to do anything too complicated yet."

"Huh-huh." Shion's lips thinned. "This is the same problem Rokujou had," she mumbled. Then in a louder voice she said, "Don't shame Spica with your slacking. You have some work to do, so be back at the school in an hour." With all that said, she turned on her heel and left the stables.

Amane reached for Hikari's hand. "Let's skip for today and head to our special place," the older girl suggested, smiling broad smile.

Hikari returned Amane's smile and nodded eagerly. They then set off for the place where the sun first shone upon their naked bodies. As they walked, white lilies seemed to look toward them. The road didn't seem so long now.


	4. Singing Poetry: Tamao x Tsubomi

_Strawberries and Lilies_

A/N: This chapter's theme is #1 - unexpected news, and the pairing is Tamao/Tsubomi. Read and enjoy!

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Chapter 4: Singing Poetry  
Nagisa thought the announcement was quite unexpected. Students from Miator could write a new song, then Lulim students would do the judging, and finally the winning entry would be sung by Spica's Saintly Choir at the graduation ceremony. This was surprising to Nagisa because there was an intense rivalry between Miator and Spica; would students from Spica be all right with singing something written by a Miator student? 

Nagisa could be such a worrywart, Tamao thought. Now she, on the other hand, was already composing a poem in her head. She had a few friends in the Saintly Choir; they would sing her lyrics beautifully.

As Nagisa and Tamao stood in front of the Strawberry Dorms bulletin board that had the announcement, Yaya and Tsubomi walked up to them. "Hey you two," Yaya greeted, grinning widely.

"Hi," Nagisa replied, turning with Tamao to face the two Spica girls. "Where's Hikari-chan?"

"Skipping with Amane-sama," Tsubomi answered, crossing her arms over her chest. Her lips thinned and eyes narrowed. "The student council president is pissed, so we're trying to avoid her."

"Watch your mouth," Yaya whispered harshly to Tsubomi.

Tsubomi ignored Yaya. "Hey, are you two interested in that song-writing contest?" the younger girl asked Tamao and Nagisa. "Y'know, I'll totally be okay with singing a Miator song if it's written by you."

"And you can be sure that it will be," Tamao said with a smirk.

Yaya also smirked. "Such confidence," she began, "or is it arrogance? But we can debate that later. The cafeteria is serving strawberry cupcakes today, and since Hikari-chan really likes them, I wanted to get some for her before they're all gone."

Tsubomi started giggling under her breath, but a glare from Yaya silenced her. Tsubomi turned her face away and blushed brightly, much to Yaya's satisfaction. The older girl then began heading in the direction of the cafeteria, and Tsubomi and Nagisa quickly followed. Tamao, however, lagged behind, as she was mentally composing beautiful line after beautiful line.

ººº  
A gorgeous poem lingered within Tamao's mind, and all was going well until she actually had to put her thoughts to paper. She was now in literature class, and she was working on yet another draft (she had lost track of the exact number). The verses sounded wonderful in her head, but once they were on paper, they sounded mundane and uninspired.

Tamao heard very little of what the teacher said, as she was too occupied with her own problems. This material was probably going to be on an exam, but that paled in comparison to Tamao's "crisis," and that just distressed her even more. Nagisa glanced over a few times, and it was quite obvious she was concerned about her best friend. However, this was something that Nagisa couldn't help with. Tamao had to do this alone, unfortunately.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and Tamao hadn't come up with anything new. One would expect a literature class to provide the best inspiration for poetry, but apparently that wasn't the case. Tamao let out a heavy sigh. "Nagisa-chan, can you head back without me?" she requested of her friend. "I have a few things to do first."

Nagisa appeared crestfallen. "Sure," she agreed, her voice quiet. She picked up her school bag and took one last glance at Tamao before leaving the classroom.

Once the rest of the students had left, Tamao got out the first draft of the poem from her school bag. She gently placed it on the desk and read it over carefully. It was entitled "Lilies," and while it wasn't horrible, it was missing something. Tears welled up in her eyes, and out of frustration, she crumbled up the piece of paper and threw it across the room and into the trashcan. She then picked up her bag and stormed out of the room.

In her anger, Tamao unknowingly passed Nagisa, who was standing outside the door and had seen Tamao throw away something. Nagisa then entered the classroom and headed toward the trashcan. While she wouldn't be able to help Tamao, she knew a few girls who just might be able to, and she would find one of them quickly.

ººº  
That evening, Tamao was alone in her dorm room. She didn't want Nagisa to worry, so she had sent the red-haired girl out with Shizuma, and Nagisa, while happy to spend time with her girlfriend, had been reluctant to leave Tamao alone. But Tamao had insisted and eventually Nagisa had agreed.

Now, Tamao sat at her desk, her chin in her hands. What was missing? She had written beautiful poetry before, so why not now? She ran her fingers through her hair and then pounded her fists on the desk. She felt tears ready to escape, but this time she was able to suppress them. Frustrating as this was, she had high expectations and she was not going to fail herself.

A knock at the door pulled Tamao out of her thoughts. She stood up and opened the door, revealing Tsubomi standing outside. The Spica girl was holding a crumbled piece of paper. "Hey, is that-" Tamao began, but was interrupted.

"Nagisa found this in the trash, and she gave it to me," Tsubomi said. Her voice was an awkward calm, and her hands shook slightly. "Why did you throw it away?"

"Because it's no good," Tamao answered, escorting Tsubomi into the dorm room.

Tsubomi inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I think it's beautiful," she disagreed as Tamao closed the door. "May I sing it?"

Tamao thought it would be cruel of her to allow anyone to sing such garbage, but as Tsubomi was being unusually polite, she decided to be a little bit hopeful, if only to see Tsubomi be her usual confident and outgoing self again. "Sure," the Miator girl said. Maybe this would help her figure out what was wrong.

Tsubomi smiled broadly and began singing the poem entitled "Lilies." She carefully sung each word, each line, and each verse in that gentle but sure voice of hers.

Tamao could not believe her ears. Tsubomi was absolutely stunning. She truly belonged in the Saintly Choir. Her voice would now stand out from the rest of the singers whenever Tamao listened to them in the future. Tamao now knew what she had been missing: a loving voice that could give life to each and every word she wrote.

Once Tsubomi had finished singing, she found herself locked in a passionate kiss with Tamao. How unexpected, Tsubomi thought. But certainly what she had wanted.


	5. Lucky Kiss: Kizuna x Lemon

_Strawberries and Lilies_

A/N: For this chapter, the pairing is Kizuna/Lemon and the theme is #5 - lucky. Enjoy!

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Chapter 5: Lucky Kiss  
The rain was coming down hard, and Kizuna could clearly see it banging against the window of her dorm room. It was a brazen reminder of how bored she was. She hated being trapped inside. The fresh air was so much nicer. But only if she was with her friends. If she alone, it was no better than being trapped inside because of rain. Fresh air was especially nicer when Kizuna was with _her_…

Kizuna sighed heavily and lay back on her bed. She then turned her head and could just barely see the small potted lily on her desk. Ever since Kagome had received that one lily from Nagisa, the blonde girl had begun growing her own lilies and giving them away to her friends. The original lily, the one Nagisa had given Kagome, had grown more beautiful; even though it had been several months, there wasn't even a hint of wilt on that lily. 

Kizuna wondered if a lily given to the one she loved like Kagome loved Nagisa would be just as beautiful. Friendship lilies were pretty and all, but ones nurtured by romantic love were special.

Of course, if Kizuna did try to grow lilies, she'd be pretty lucky if she managed just to produce a bud.

The door opened and Lemon walked in, carrying a bowl of strawberries. "Hey," she greeted, a wide smile on her lips. The dorm room was quickly filled with the pleasant aroma of strawberries.

"Hi," Kizuna replied, sitting up. The smell of those strawberries was making her hungry. "What's up with the strawberries?"

"Chikaru-sama gave them to me," Lemon answered, walking over to her desk and setting down the bowl. "Apparently the cafeteria ordered too many, so they're being given out to the students."

Kizuna stretched her arms and then planted her hands firmly next to her sides. "There's been so much interests in strawberries lately. I wonder why."

Lemon chuckled. "Well, our dorm is shaped like a giant strawberry." She paused for a second. "Hey, do you have three cups?"

"What?" was Kizuna's immediate reaction. What a strange request, she thought. If Lemon wanted a drink of something, she would only need one cup, wouldn't she?

"You don't have any?" Lemon assumed when Kizuna gave no further reply. The smile began to fade from her face.

"I do, I do!" Kizuna said quickly. She hopped off her bed and then got down on her belly to rummage underneath her bed. "Ah!" she sounded when her hands landed on an unopened bag of disposable white cups. She pulled them toward her, and once they were in the light, she stood up. "Here you go," she said, handing the bag to Lemon.

Disbelief was clearly visible on Lemon's face. "Under your bed?"

Kizuna shrugged her shoulders. "What's wrong with that?"

Lemon blushed brightly. "Nothing, nothing!" she said in a squeaky voice. She opened the bag of cups and pulled out three. She placed them down next to the bowl of strawberries and then tossed the unused cups onto her bed. "I want to play a game with you," she began.

"What kind of game?" Kizuna asked. Playing with Lemon would be a great way to relive her boredom. She couldn't be anything but happy when she was with Lemon, after all.

Lemon picked up a strawberry out of the bowl and hid it under one of the white cups. She then put the other two cups also in a standing position. "I'll shuffle the cups and you have to pick out the one that's hiding the strawberry," she explained to Kizuna.

"Sounds easy," Kizuna remarked, stepping closer to the cups.

"Then let's play!" Lemon's hands started quickly to move the cups around. Sometimes she moved one forward and counter-clockwise, and sometimes she moved one backward and clockwise. Her movements were almost lightning fast, so Kizuna found it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes focused. She wouldn't normally take such a silly game seriously, but she believed that winning would certainly impress Lemon.

Suddenly, Lemon stopped. "All right, pick one," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Um…" Kizuna raised her hand, and after a moment of hesitation, pointed at the cup in the middle. Lemon lifted it up and sure enough, the strawberry had been underneath.

"Lucky!" Lemon exclaimed cheerfully. "You get to eat the strawberry now!"

"Yum!" was Kizuna's response. She picked up the strawberry and put it into her mouth and began chewing. It was a deliciously ripe and juicy one, she noticed.

Once Kizuna had swallowed the strawberry, Lemon said, "And now for your other reward." She leaned over and kissed Kizuna on the lips.

To say Kizuna was surprised was an understatement. _Lemon_ wanted to share a kiss? The last time they had kissed, Lemon hadn't seemed pleased at all. But then again, Kizuna had only kissed Lemon that time to win the thumb-wrestling match. This time, the kiss was devoid of sneaky tactics. It was all so clear to Kizuna now. She wouldn't have to learn how to grow lilies to earn Lemon's love, she thought happily. Just as Lemon said, she was "lucky."

When the two girls pulled apart, Kizuna declared it was her turn to hide the strawberry, and Lemon had no objections to that. There were plenty of strawberries left, and they would continue playing until they were all gone and maybe even longer than that. 


End file.
